Author Archives: bboyd31573

About bboyd31573

I'm a resident of Mission, SD, which is in the south-central part of the state along the Nebraska border. I am a literature teacher at my hometown high school. I just retired from 25 years a very successful coaching career - basketball and football. I have two children. My daughter is a physical therapist living in Phoenix, AZ, and my son recently graduated from Notre Dame and is working in Wisconsin in the political arena. I am an owner of the Green Bay Packers, and I am a huge LA Lakers fan. I have a beautiful husky dog named Oakley. I have been playing APBA football since I was 13 and my first set was the 1985 NFL season.

1997 Game 158 (Week 12) New England at Tampa Bay

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Patriots get back on track with big win in Tampa

The Patriots came into Sunday’s game at the “Big Sombrero” against Tampa Bay losing 2 of their last three games. The Buccaneers are a formidable opponent, so tensions were high in the New England area hoping the Patriots could get back on track.

The Patriots came out swinging and they rolled up a 20-7 halftime lead against a very stout Tampa Bay defense. Drew Bledsoe came up with two explosive plays in the second quarter to put the Patriots up 20-0. He hit Shawn Jefferson for a 63-yard touchdown and then connected with RB Keith Byars on a 44-yard pass to give the Patriots their commanding lead.

The Patriot defense was formidable all day long. They gave up one explosive play as QB Trent Dilfer threw a short pass to RB Warrick Dunn, who took it to the house for the Buccaneers only touchdown from 49-yards out. Otherwise, the Patriot defense stuffed the Bucs.

The Bucs were only able to rush for 65 yards, which is the staple of their offense. The Patriots were able to force three big turnovers also. They picked Dilfer off twice and then stopped a Bucs drive in Patriot territory when they forced a Mike Alstott fumble.

Bledsoe and the offense had a so-so day. The Bucs defense stiffened in second half. Bledsoe threw for 224 yards but only completed 15 of 35 passes on the day. The threw 2 touchdowns but also threw a pick. RB Curtis Martin rushed for just 57 yards on 24 carries.

Next week, the Patriots, 8-3, will take on division rival the Miami Dolphins at Foxboro. The Buccaneers will need to get their ship righted as they travel to Chicago next Sunday. The Buccaneers started 5-0, but now have lost four of the last six games and now have a 7-4 record. They sit third in their division and are clinging to a Wildcard spot in the NFC.

1997 Game 158 Stats

1997 Game 157 (Week 12) Minnesota at Detroit

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Lions get back on track with an explosive second half

After a stunning loss last week to the Redskins, the Detroit Lions got back on track Sunday inside the Silver Dome with a huge second half against the Minnesota Vikings to win 29-17.

Trailing 14-6 at halftime, the Lions’ offense exploded behind the running game of Barry Sanders and the passing attack of QB Scott Mitchell. The Lions rolled up 302 yards in the second half alone and scored three touchdowns.

Sanders, the leading rusher in the NFL, had 56 yards at halftime on the ground with a crucial fumble. In the second half, he rushed for 89 yards and scored two touchdowns. He finished the day with 145 yards on 23 carries. On the season, Sanders now has rushed for 1,573 yards and scored 13 TDs. He is on pace to blow away the single-season rushing record. He is on pace for 2,288 yards. Eric Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984 and has the record.

Mitchell got hot in the second half as well. He threw for 210 yards in the second half and connected with Sanders on a 19-yard scoring strike. Along with his 145 rushing yards, Sanders caught three passes for 31 yards and a TD. WR Johnnie Morton caught nine passes for 129 yards.

On the defensive side, the Lions were dominated by DE Robert Porcher. He had another ½ of a sack on the day giving him 14.5 on the season, which is tops in the NFL. Porcher also tackled Vikings’ RB Robert Smith in the end zone for a safety.

As for the Vikings, their offense fizzled out in the second half. They accumulated 180 yards in the first half and two touchdowns. Chris Carter caught a one-yard pass from Brad Johnson, and Robert Smith plunged in from a yard out to give the Vikings a 17-6 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Vikings mustered up 78 total yards.

The Lions (8-3) have a firm grip on a Wildcard spot in the NFC. They will host the Indianapolis Colts next weekend in the Silver Dome before their Thanksgiving matchup with the Bears. The Vikings won 5 of their last 6 games before the loss in the Silver Dome. They are now 5-6 on the season and are outside looking in at a Wildcard spot. They will travel to New Jersey next weekend to face the Jets.

1997 Game 157 Stats

1997 Game 156 (Week 12) Tennessee at Jacksonville

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Oilers overpower the Jaguars

In a battle of 4-6 teams, it was the Tennessee Oilers who took a step forward and launched themselves in the AFC Wildcard picture. The Oilers used a physical running game to pound the Jaguar defense. They racked up 234 yards on the ground in the 38-19 win at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville.

The Oiler running game not only kept their offense moving but it also kept the ball away from QB Mark Brunell and the Jaguar explosive offense. The Oilers held the ball for over 33 minutes and won the time of possession battle.

RB Eddie George rushed for 94 yards on 25 carries. Backup RB Rodney Thomas rushed for 51 yards on only 7 carries and had 3 rushing touchdowns on the day. Even QB Steve McNair was hard to corral as he rushed for 89 yards on 11 scrambles.

Missed opportunities were the story for the Jaguars. They had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the game; however, they squandered most of them with trading in field goals for touchdowns. The Oilers also came up with some huge sacks, which forced the Jaguars out of scoring opportunities.

The Jaguars were only able to muster up 164 total yards. Brunell was only able to throw for 116 yards and they could only rush for 90 yards.

The Oilers are now in the AFC Wildcard race. They host the Buffalo Bills next week. The Jaguars are now 4-7, but they have a favorable schedule down the stretch, but they are in a must-win scenario next week at Cincinnati, who has been red-hot.

1997 Game 156 Stats

1997 Game 155 (Week 12) Green Bay at Indianapolis

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Packers dominate the Colts

The Green Bay Packers didn’t play their best offensive football; however, the defense was up to the task Sunday Afternoon in the RCA Dome against the Indianapolis Colts as the Packers went to an NFC-best 10-1 with a 31-9 victory.

Many experts called this game a “trap” game. Next week, the Packers take on their nemesis the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field, so many thought the Packers would overlook the Colts. It didn’t happen. The Packers defense held the Colts to just three field goals and limited them to 231 total yards in the victory.

Reggie White led the Packers defense with 2.5 sacks in the game. The Packers had a season-high six sacks. Leroy Butler and Doug Evans picked backup QB Paul Justin off twice in the game. The defense held Marshall Faulk and Co. to just 46 yards rushing.

As for the offense, Brett Favre was efficient. He completed 18 passes on 30 attempts for 184 yards and 2 TDs. He didn’t throw any interceptions but did have a fumble.

The Packers relied mostly on their run game and RB Dorsey Levens delivered. He rushed for 133 yards on 23 carries with 2 TDs. Levens is on pace to break the Packers’ single-season rushing record held by Jim Taylor in 1962.

The Packers will try to erase past playoff failures and validate their Super Bowl win next Sunday against the Cowboys. The Packers won the title, but many say it wasn’t complete because they didn’t face the Cowboys. Sunday the Packers can erase those doubters.

As for the Colts, they are now 4-7 on the season and have dropped out of the AFC race for a Wildcard position. Next week, they travel to Detroit.

1997 Game 155 Stats

1997 Game 154 (Week 12) Denver at Kansas City

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Chiefs sweep the Broncos and stay undefeated

The big AFC Showdown didn’t turn into the big defensive battle that many experts predicted. Instead, a shootout from the old West could describe this game more accurately as the Kansas City Chiefs outdueled the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, 41-33, staying undefeated, and more importantly, taking control of the AFC West.

The Chiefs threw a knockout punch to start each of the halves. In the first half, the Chiefs jumped out to a 20-0 lead after an Andre Rison TD reception from QB Rich Gannon and then a 42-yard interception return for a TD by DB Mark McMillan. On the season, McMillan now has 8 interceptions to lead the AFC and returned 3 of those for TDs.

Broncos’ QB John Elway threw a TD pass to Rod Smith and Jason Elam kicked a field goal right before the end of the half to cut the lead to 20-10; however, the Chiefs came out with a few more haymakers to start the 3rd quarter. Rich Gannon threw a pair of 16-yard TD passes. One was to Kimble Anders and the other was to Rison to give the Chiefs a commanding 34-10 lead.

Elway and company fired back as he threw back-to-back TD passes. He threw a 21-yard screen pass TD to Shannon Sharpe and a 17-yard bullet to Willie Green; however, Rich Gannon threw the knockout punch in this game when he connected with Rison for the third time in the game and this one was from 63 yards out to give the Chiefs a 41-26 lead.

Gannon played the game of his life. He threw for 284 yards on 18 of 27 passing with 4 TD passes. He had a QB rating of 141.1. Many thought the Chiefs were done when Elvis Grbac went down with a broken collar bone, but Gannon has played awesome. Since he took over, Gannon is completing 62.5% of his passes for 554 yards and 7 TDs with 0 INTs. He has a QB rating of 135.

Andre Rison is still having a spectacular season. He caught nine passes for 204 yards in this game with 3 TDs. On the season, Rison has 68 catches for 1016 yards and 7 TDs.

Elway had his best game of the season in a losing effort. He threw for 348 yards on 25 of 41 passing with 4 TDs but threw 3 costly interceptions. Rod Smith caught 9 passes for 134 yards and 2 TDs.

Now that the Chiefs (11-0) have firm control of the AFC West, they will go into another divisional showdown next week with the red-hot Seattle Seahawks in the Kingdome. The Broncos will try to pick themselves up off the turf as they host the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night at Mile High.

1997 Game 154 Stats

1997 Game 153 (Week 12) Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

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Bengals shock the Steelers in OT; Take Division Lead

Five weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were running away with the AFC Central division, had an undefeated season, and were among the elite in the NFL. Then they met up with a 3-3 Cincinnati Bengals team and lost, 26-11. Since then, the Steelers have been going in one direction, while the Bengals were going another.

On Sunday, the two teams faced off each other again, but this time it was for the lead in the AFC Central. The Steelers lost 3 of their last four and were 7-3, while the Bengals won 5 of their last six and were coming into the game at 6-4. The winner would take control of the division.

To start the game, Steelers’ QB Kordell Stewart was horrible. He threw two picks on the Steelers’ first two drives, and they were down immediately 13-0. The Bengals scored on RB Corey Dillons’ 4-yard run and then QB Jeff Blake hit WR Carl Pickens on a 24-yard TD pass. Pelfrey missed the extra point on the first drive, so the Bengals held a 13-0 lead.

The Steelers usual explosive offense was held to just 82 first half yards and the Steelers trailed at halftime 16-3. The Steelers got a field goal in the third to make it 16-6, but the action picked up in the final quarter.

Jerome Bettis caught a short 4-yard pass from Stewart and blasted through for a touchdown cutting the lead to 16-13. Then the Bengals answered when Kijana Carter raced through the Steelers’ defense for a 62-yard touchdown run, 23-13. After a Steeler field goal, the Steelers tied the game on another Bettis receiving touchdown with 2:30 minutes remaining to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, both teams squandered their first drives, but the Bengals didn’t disappoint on the next. On a third and long, Blake hit tight end Tony McGee, who broke free and ran down to the Steeler’s 2-yard line. The Bengals didn’t mess around. They sent in Doug Pelfrey, who calmly kicked the 19-yard game-winning field goal.

The Bengals are now in first place in the division tied with the Steelers with a 7-4 record, but the Bengals have the tie breaker due to winning both head-to-head matchups. Next week, the Bengals host Jacksonville, while the Steelers, now losing 4 out of the last 5, head to Philadelphia to try to right the ship.

1997 Game 153 Stats

1997 Game 152 (Week 12) Atlanta at St. Louis

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Chandler throws the Falcons to victory

Atlanta Falcons’ QB Chris Chandler had his best day of the season in a 34-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams Sunday in the TWA Dome. Chandler threw for only 214 yards on 22 of 30 passing but he tossed 4 TD passes.

The Rams jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter, but then the Falcons went to work offensively and outscored the Rams 34-7 the rest of the day. The Falcons’ defense turned the heat up on Rams’ QB Tony Banks and sacked him six times on the afternoon and picked him off twice, which set up Falcon TDs.

Offensively, the Falcons relied on their ground game as they rushed for 199 yards on the afternoon. RB Jamal Anderson rushed for 143 yards on 23 carries with most of the production coming in the 4th quarter to salt the game away.

Chandler connected with his top two wideouts in Bert Emanuel and Terrence Mathis. Emanuel caught eight passes for 92 yards and 2 TDs, while Mathis caught six passes for 65 yards and 2 TDs.

Veteran LB Cornelius Bennett had his best day as a Falcon. He had 2.5 sacks and forced a fumble, which resulted in a Falcons’ TD.

Next week, the 5-6 Falcons will try to climb into the NFC playoff hunt when they host the New Orleans Saints. The struggling Rams (2-9) will host the Carolina Panthers.

1997 Game 152 Stats

1997 Game 151 (Week 12) Arizona at NY Giants

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Giants D shuts down the Cardinals

The Giants defense arose the occasion Sunday afternoon when the G-Men defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 16-8, at Giants’ Stadium.

The Giants, thick in the NFC East Division race, held the Cardinals to just 154 total yards. The Giants’ defense sacked Cardinal QB Jake Plummer six times and picked him off once. The second one was a pick-six by CB Philipe Sparks, who returned the pick 18-yards for the TD to give the Giants a 16-0 lead.

The first score of the game came from the Giants’ defense too. Jesse Armstead stuck RB Ron Moore in the end zone for a safety to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. In fact, the Giants’ defense was like a block of granite against the Cardinals’ run game. They held the Cardinals to just 70 yards on the ground.

The only offensive Giants’ touchdown came when QB Danny Kannell hit RB Tiki Barber on a short pass, and he raced 55-yards for a TD. On the day, Kannell threw for just 168 yards on 13 of 24 passing but he didn’t turn the ball over.

The Giants focused in on and double-covered Pro Bowl Cardinal WR Rob Moore, who was held to 4 catches for just 20 yards. Moore came in as the leading receiver in the NFC in catches.

The Giants will have a huge showdown next week against the Washington Redskins on the road on Sunday Night Football. The winner will take control of the NFC East division. As for the Cardinals, they will try to salvage their 1-10 season and will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens.

1997 Game 151 Stats

1997 Game 150 (Week 11) San Francisco at Philadelphia

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49ers blowout the Eagles on Monday Night

The San Francisco 49ers couldn’t have started the season any worse. They lost their first two games. They lost their future Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice for the season with a torn ACL, and their starting QB Steve Young was knocked out the first game with a concussion and missed the second.

Since then, the 49ers have turned things around and are back as an elite team in the NFL. They have won 8 consecutive games with a Monday Night blowout of the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-3, at Veteran’s Stadium, and trail only the Green Bay Packers for the best record in the NFC. QB Steve Young is back and has the best passer rating in the NFL. However, it’s been the offenses’ running game and the defense that has propelled the Niners back into the land of the elites and that was never more evident than the Monday Night drubbing of the Eagles.

The Niners running game racked up 240 yards on the ground on 38 attempts. Garrison Hearst led the Niners with 138 yards on 18 carries with 2 TDs. Terry Kirby had 45 yards on 10 carries and FG William “Bar None” Floyd had 48 yards on just six carries. On the season, the 49ers are averaging 141.5 yards per game.

As for the defense, they dominated the Eagles. They held the Eagles to just 164 total yards, which includes 63 on the ground and only 101 through the air. They sacked Eagles’ QBs three times and picked them off three times.

On the season, the 49ers lead the NFL in the top four categories. They only give up 189 yards per game, which includes only 70 yards on the ground and 119 net passing yards. They also only give up 11.6 points per game as well.

The 49ers will try to keep their winning streak alive next Sunday when they host the Carolina Panthers. They beat Carolina earlier this season, 31-6, on a Monday Night.

As for the Eagles, they are now 4-6 on the season and will go on the road next weekend to face the Baltimore Ravens.

1997 Game 150 Stats